LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 375 Park Avenue Spirits today announced it has signed a new agreement that will substantially expand its current portfolio.

Effective August 1, 2018, 375 Park Avenue Spirits has been appointed the sole U.S. importer for the term of five years for Ballantine's, Passport, and Something Special whiskies from Scotland by Chivas Brothers Ltd.; Becherovka Herbal Liqueur from the Czech Republic by Jan Becher; Cachaça Janeiro from Brazil by Pernod-Brasil; Soho Lychee Liqueur from France by Pernod SAS; and Minttu Peppermint Liqueur from Finland by Pernod Finland. The company will begin transitioning these brands immediately but will start actively selling these brands in market as of September 1.

"These agreements represent a watershed moment for our organization," said Jason Schladenhauffen, CEO for 375 Park Avenue Spirits. "Almost all of these brands are category leaders in their home market or on the global stage. As such, we've been afforded a major opportunity as the new brand stewards to lead them into the next stage of their life cycles."

Further commenting on the appointment, Patrick Venning, Global Marketing Director for Ballantine's and Chivas Bros.' Primary Scotch portfolio said, "We're thrilled to be working with 375 Park Avenue Spirits on this venture to develop the brands in America. It marks a new chapter in the United States for some of our most popular brands – Ballantine's, Passport and Something Special – in a market where Scotch whisky is already hugely popular. This new partnership will allow us to actively get our whiskies into the hands of new drinkers and show what's so exceptional about the category and these award-winning brands in particular."

It was also recently announced that the company had been given the exclusive right to represent J.P. Wiser's® Canadian whisky and Lamb's® rum in the U.S. by Corby Spirit and Wine Limited. That partnership began July 1, 2018 and will also run for five years.

The portfolio expansion not only increases the number of brands the company will represent, it further solidifies the firm's commitment to offering customers more breadth and depth of quality spirit selections. "Each of these brands address portfolio gaps and fill key strategic needs as we look to better balance our offerings," further commented Schladenhauffen. With the expansion, 375 Park Avenue Spirits now represents spirit brands from across 14 countries.

To support the new alliances, the company is also making an investment in headcount in key markets. "The 375 Park Avenue team excels at building brands by collaborating with our wholesalers and hitting the streets with conviction," said Schladenhauffen, "and we intend to achieve another gear by adding these brands into our portfolio. The addition of field sales manpower across critical anchor markets is already in process to further fuel the momentum for the growth we aspire to deliver in the near and long term."

About the New Brands:

SCOTCH WHISKYBallantine's is the number two Scotch Whisky worldwide (IWSR 2015). Distilled in Scotland, blended and bottled in Dumbarton, the brand uses a unique selection of single malt and grain whiskies from the four whisky regions of Scotland; Speyside, Islay, Highland and Lowland. The portfolio includes Ballantine's Finest, Ballantine's 12 Year Old Blended Scotch, Ballantine's 17 Year Old, Ballantine's 30 Year Old, Ballantine's Brasil, and Ballantine's Hard Fired.

Passport is proudly produced in Scotland since 1965 and distributed in approximately 50 markets worldwide. The brand is the biggest contributor to Scotch whisky category growth and the fifth fastest growing spirit brand worldwide (IWSR 2015). Globally recognized for its green rectangular bottle and vibrant communications, Passport is increasingly popular among millennial consumers in emerging Scotch markets around the world.

Something Special™ Blended Scotch Whisky was introduced in 1912 by Hill & Thomson (a firm established in 1793), as "A Scotch for a Special Occasion." Today, the brand continues to be produced from the finest Speyside grain and malt whiskies, which are blended together to create the unmistakable smoky sweetness of Something Special whisky.

CANADIAN WHISKYJ.P. Wiser's Canadian whisky is one of the world's top-selling whiskies; the brand is currently the number two Canadian Whisky in Canada and number eight globally. Founded in 1857, J.P. Wiser's offers a range of traditional Canadian whiskies and is dedicated to upholding the traditional production methods established by its founder. Using only superior ingredients, J.P Wiser's is handmade to ensure the whisky lives up to the standards set out by J.P. Wiser over 150 years ago. Expressions available in the U.S. market include J.P. Wiser's Deluxe, J.P. Wiser's Rye and J.P. Wiser's 18 Year Old.

CANE SPIRITSLamb's rum, one of the top-selling rum families in Canada. The brand was previously mostly available through select duty-free outlets, but will now have expanded distribution in the U.S. Available U.S. Lamb's variants will include Lamb's Palm Breeze, Lamb's White and Lamb's Spiced.

Cachaça Janeiro has been produced and bottled in the state of Rio de Janeiro continuously since 1886 and it is recognized as the perfect ingredient to build mellow, refreshing and tasty caipirinha.

LIQUEURSBecherovka®, pronounced (beck ur OHV kuh), is a bitter herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. A trendsetting and flavorful liqueur, Becherovka is the number one exported spirit in the Czech Republic. Produced since 1807, it is made from a secret family recipe of more than 20 herbs blended with aromatic oils, alcohol, and purely Czech mineral water.

Soho Lychee Liqueur is a sophisticated and exotic premium liqueur distilled in France that captures the luscious flavor of the fragrant Asian lychee in a remarkably smooth "East meets West" fusion. It is the first and only lychee liqueur available in the U.S.

Minttu Peppermint Liqueur will be launched in the U.S. market in 2019. It is the legendary mint shot from the Finnish Himalayas that was originally developed during the harsh winter of 1956 to provide the inhabitants of Mount Minttu with the courage to live with the Isokasi, the abominable snowman of the north. Minttu Peppermint Liqueur is colorless with marvelous, fiery peppermint freshness.

About 375 Park Avenue Spirits375 Park Avenue Spirits specializes in superior brands from around the world that drive innovation within their category. It was founded in 1981 as Luctor International, LLC and in early 2015, became an independent subsidiary yet fully integrated sales company inside the Sazerac Company.

The 375 Park Avenue Spirits portfolio spans the premium- to luxury-spirit categories and includes numerous expressions from leading international producers: Van Gogh Vodka and Gin from Holland; Tap Whisky from Canada; Dictador rum from Colombia; Saint James Rhum from Martinique; Antica Sambuca, Limoncello Rossi D'Asiago and Dolce Nero from Italy; Saint-Vivant and Castarède Armagnac from France; Yeni Raki and Tekirdag Rakisi from Turkey; and Scapegrace gin from New Zealand.

375 Park Avenue Spirits also represents the International Beverage Holdings Ltd. spirit portfolio including single malt whiskies Speyburn, Old Pulteney, Balblair, and anCnoc as well as Hankey Bannister blended Scotch and Caorunn gin from Scotland. On the Pacific side, the alliance includes Phraya rum and Mekhong – an iconic brand and a household name in South East Asia.

In 2018, 375 Park Avenue Spirits signed multiple agreements to act as the U.S. representative for J.P. Wiser's Canadian whisky and Lamb's® rum by Corby Spirit and Wine Limited; Ballantine's, Passport, and Something Special whiskies from Scotland by Chivas Brothers Ltd.; Becherovka Herbal Liqueur from the Czech Republic by Jan Becher; Cachaça Janeiro from Brazil by Pernod-Brasil; Soho Lychee Liqueur from France by Pernod SAS; and Minttu Peppermint Liqueur from Finland by Pernod Finland.

By aligning with brands that embrace the values and vision of 375 Park Avenue Spirits, the company has created an environment of growth for supplier partners in the domestic market.